Marine lantern



July 13, 1965 Filed April 5, 1963 A. M. TROCCOLI MARINE LANTERN 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR- ARTHUR M. TROCCOLI BYW;

July 13, 1965 A. M. TROCCOLI 3, 9

MARINE LANTERN Filed April 5, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 59 fix. W e 1/ 9/ INVENTOR. 44 4a ARTHUR M. TROCCOLI United States Patent O 3,194,956 MARINE LANTEW Arthur M. Troccoli, Old Bridge, NJ assignor to Elastic Stop Nut Corporation of America, Union, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Apr. 3, 1963, Ser. N 270,331 2 Claims. (Cl. 24011.2)

This invention relates generally to marine lights of the type used for buoys, beacons, channel lights, and the like, and more particularly to an improved construction for a marine lantern to render it more seaworthy. The improved construction of the present invention is particularly useful in marine lanterns of the type that are usually unattended for long periods of time and that are required to operate in all kinds of weather and over a relatively wide range of temperature,

Marine lanterns of the aforementioned type are subject to the destructive forces of the weather and the sea or ocean. Since most of the conventional marine lanterns comprise a base portion and a dome-shaped lens portion, .an air-tight and water-tight seal must be provided between these portions. It has been proposed to grind the mating surfaces of the lens and base portions very accurately to form such an air-tight and water-tight seal, but such ma ch-ining operations are relatively expensive and are not foolproof. Even though resilient sealing means have been disposed between the lens and base portions of a lantern, it has been found that the difference between the coefiicients of expansion of the base and lens portions in prior art marine lanterns may cause the lens portion to crack under varying weather conditions, causing water to enter the lantern and damaging the electrical equipment in the base portion of the lantern.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved construction for sealing the lens portion to the r base portion of a marine lantern.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved construction in a marine lantern that permits the lens portion to expand and contract with changes in the ambient temperature without providing any undue stresses that may crack the lens portion.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved construction for providing an air-tight and water-tight seal between the lens and base portions of a marine lantern without the need for grinding the mating surfaces accurately.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved construction for a marine lantern wherein water is prevented from accumulating between the lens portion and its mounting ring, and wherein the lens portion is free to move between the mounting ring and the base to prevent cracking of the lens portion due to climatic changes.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide an improved marine lantern that is relatively simple in construction, easy to manufacture and highly efiicient in use under all weather conditions. 1

Briefly, the improved construction of the present invention for a marine lantern comprises novel means for sealing a dome-shaped lens portion of transparent material to a metal base portion and forming an efficient airtight and water-tight seal therebetween without the need for accurately ground mating surfaces between the lens and base portions. The lens portion is formed with an outwardly extending lower flange having a lower planar surface adjacent to its periphery. The base portion is formed with an outwardly extending upper flange having an upper planar surface adjacent to its periphery. A resilient O-ring member is disposed between the flanges of the lens portion and the base portion. The lens mount- Patented July 13, 1965 ing ring has an outer flange portion that is adapted to be secured removably to the base flange and an inner recessed portion that is adapted to engage loosely the flange of the lens portion. When the lens mounting ring is securely fastened to the base portion the flange of the lens portion is pressed against the O-ring, but the lens flange is spaced from the planar surface of the base flange so that the lens flange may expand and contract with changes in temperature, the lens flange being loosely mounted to the lens mounting ring. At least one channel that communicates between the inner and outer peripheries of the lens mounting ring is formed between the lens mounting ring, the lens portion and the base portion to prevent Water from accumulating between the lens mounting ring and lens portion thereby minimizing the danger of water seeping into the interior of the lantern.

The novel features of the present invention, as well as the invention itself both as to its organization and method of operation, will be understood in detail from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout and in which:

*FIG, 1 is a side elevational view with par-ts broken away of a marine lantern employing the novel construc tion of the present invention;

'FIG. 2 is a plan view of the marine lantern shown in FIG. 1;

'FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional fragmentary view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 and viewed in the direction indicated by the appended arrows;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional fragmentary view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 2 and viewed in the direction indicated by the appended arrows; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional fragmentary view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 2 and viewed in the direction indicated by the appended arrows.

Referring, now, particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings there is shown a marine lantern 19 of the type used for buoys, beacons, channel lights and the like employing the novel construction of the present invention for securing its lens portion 12 to its base portion 14. The lens portion 12 may comprise a dome-shaped lens of transparent material, such as glass or acrylic plastic material for example. The base portion 14 preferably comprises a housing of a corrosion resistant metal, such as cast aluminum, and provides a rigid waterproof support for the lantern. A plurality of flange-like feet 16 extend radially outwardly from the bottom of the base portion 14 to provide means for fixing and supporting the lantern 10 to a point of installation. The base portion 14 may house a battery (not shown) as well as electronic means, such as a flasher unit (not shown), for operating a lamp (not shown) within the lantern 1d. a

In accordance with the present invention the lens portion .12 is sealed to the base portion 14 by an improved construction that provides an air-tight and water-tight seal therebetween. To this end the base portion 14 is formed with an outwardly extending upper peripheral flange 18 having an upper planar surface 20, An annular groove 22 is formed in the upper planar surface 20 for receiving a resilient member 24, such as an O-ring, therein. The O-ring member 24 is large enough to extend well above the plane defined by the planar surface 29.

The lens portion 12 is formed with an outwardly extending peripheral lower flange 26 having a lower planar surface 28 that is adapted to rest on the O-ring member 24.

Means are provided to urge the lens portion 12 against the resilient member 24. To this end there is provided a lens mounting ring having a flange portion 32 adjacent to its outer periphery 33 and an annular recessed portion 34 adjacent of its inner periphery 35 and adapted to receive the lower lens flange 26 therein. The lower surface of the flange portion 32is a planar surface 36 adapted to mate with the upper planar surface 20 of the base flange 18.

A plurality of screw means are provided to' secure the lens mounting ring 30 to the base flange 18. To this end the flange portion 32 is formed with a plurality of equally spaced upwardly extending bosses 38, the latter being formed with a through opening 40 therein, as shown in FIG. 5. A bushing 42 is inserted into the opening 40 for receiving a threaded screw shank 44 of a winged head screw 46 therein. The screw shank 44 is screwed into a threaded opening 48 in the base flange 18,- the latter flange having a downwardly extending boss 50 for reinforcement purposes at the site of the threaded opening 48. in the embodiment of the lantern 10 the. lens mounting ring30 is secured to the base flange 18 by three equally spaced, easily removable, winged-head screws 46, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5.

The lens portion 12 is loosely mounted in the lens mounting ring 30 so that a clearance is provided for the expansion and contraction of the lens portion 12 that may be caused by changes in the ambient temperature. Thus, the flange 26 of the lens portion 12 is formed with a plurality of radial slots 52 for receiving a spacer 54 slidably therein, as shown in FIG. 4. The spacer S4 is held in place by means of a screw 56 threaded into an upwardly extending bossed'portion 58'of the lens mounting ring 30. A wide head 59 of the screw 56 is disposed within a recess 60 in the lower surface 28 of the lens flange 26. Because of the differences in the dimensions of the depth of the spacer 54 and the depth of the recess 60, there is a clearance 62 between the head 59 of the screw 56 and the lower surface of the recess '60 of the lens flange 26 around the screw 56 for permitting motion of the lens portion 12 along the spacer 54 when necessary due to the expansion and contraction of the lens portion 12 caused by changes in temperature.

Referring, now, particularly to FIG. 3 there is shown a groove 64 formed in the lower surface 36 of the flange portion 32 of the lens mounting ring 30. A groove 66 is also formed in the lower surface of the recessed portion 34 of the lens mounting ring 30. Since the vertical peripheral wall 68 of the lens flange 26 is separated from the inner vertical wall 70 of the lens mounting ring 30, the groove 64 communicates with the groove 66 and forms a continuous channel 72 (FIG. 2) between the inner and the outer peripheries 35 and 33, respectively, of the lens mounting ring 30. A plurality of channels 72 are formed about the lens mounting ring 30, as shown in FIG. 2.

This construction prevents the accumulation of water and moisture that would ordinarily'collect in the pocket 76 between the inner periphery 35 of the lens mounting ring 30 and the outer surface of the lens portion 12, thereby minimizing the dangers of corrosion and water seepage to the internal parts of the lantern 10.

The lens mounting ring 30 is hinged to the base por tion 14 to permit the convenient separation of the lens portion 12 from the base portion 14 for servicing the lantern 10. The base portion 14 is formed with two outwardly and upwardly extending apertured ears 78 and 80 for receiving a pin 82 therebetween. The lens mounting ring 30 is formed with two outwardly extending ears 84 and 86 that are pivotally connected to the pin 82 for rotation thereabout. It will nowbe understood that with the winged-head screws 46 removed the lens portion 12 and'the lens mounting ring '30 attached thereto can be separated from the base portion 14 by rotating the lens mounting ring 30 about its pivoted ears 84 and 86.

' lens mounting ring.

4 It will be apparent from the foregoing description that there has been provided an improved construction for joining a lens portion of a lantern to its base portion in a manner to provide a gas-tight and liquid-tight seal.

Since only one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, modifications and variations of the instant invention, all coming within the scope of the present invention, will, no doubt, suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. For example, the resilient O-ring member may be disposed within a groove in the lens flange as well as in a groove in the base flange. Also, the channel for draining water that may collect between the lens mounting ring and the lens portion may be formed in the lens portion and in the base flange as well as in the It is intended, therefore, that all matter contained in the'above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is:

1. A lantern comprising,

(a) a base having an upwardly facing annular flange surface of predetermined outer diameter,

(b) a lens having an outwardly extending annular peripheral flange of smaller outer diameter than said predetermined diameter and having an upwardly facing annular flange surface and a downwardly facing .annular flange surface confronting but spaced from the radially inner portion of the flange surface of I said base,

(c) a resilient annular sealing member between and engaging the radially inner portion of the flange surface of said base and the downwardly facing flange surfaceof said lens, and

(d) a mounting ring having an outer flange portion in engagement with the radially outer portion of the flange surface of said base and an inner flange portion overlapping and engaging and conforming in shape to the upwardly facing flange surface of said lens .and urging said lens flange toward the radially inner portion of the flange surface of said base to deform said resilient annularmember thus to effect a seal between said lens and said base, there being an annular clearance space radially between the flange of said lens and said mounting ring and extending between said mounting ring and said flange surface of saidbase.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein said mounting ring has a .first radial groove in open communication with the inner periphery of said ring and with said clearance space and confronting the upwardly facing flange surface of said lens and a second radial groove radially aligned with said first radial groove and in open communication with said clearance space and with the outer periphery of said ring and confronting the annular flange surface of said base, said grooves and said clearance space providing a channel for water flow.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,530,804 3/25 Anundi 240-112 X 1,741,965 12/29 Yates 24011.2 2,261,695 11/41 Nerlich et al 24011.2 2,702,849 2/55 Biss'ell 24011.2 2,814,720 11/57 Martin 24041.55 2,876,340 3/59 Williams 240-4155 2,935,601 5/60 Steiner et al 24011.2 X

, FOREIGN PATENTS 1,039,966 10/58 Germany.

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A LANTERN COMPRISING, (A) A BASE HAVING AN UPWARDLY FACING ANNULAR FLANGE SURFACE OF PREDETERMINED OUTER DIAMETER, (B) A LENS HAVING AN OUTWARDLY EXTEXTENDING ANNULAR PERIPHERAL FLANGE OF SMALLER OUTER DIAMETER THAN SAID PREDETERMINED DIAMETER AND HAVING AN UPWARDLY FACING ANNULAR FLANGE SURFACE AND A DOWNWARDLY FACING ANNULAR FLANGE SURFACE CONFRONTING BUT SPACED FROM THE RADIALLY INNER PORTION OF THE FLANGE SURFACE OF SAID BASE, (C) A RESILIENT ANNULAR SEALING MEMBER BETWEEN AND ENGAGING THE RADIALLY INNER PORTION OF THE FLANGE SURFACE OF SAID BASE AND THE DOWNWARDLY FACING FLANGE SURFACE OF SAID LENS, AND (D) A MOUNTING RING HAVING AN OUTER FLANGE PORTION IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE RADIALLY OUTER PORTION OF THE FLANGE SURFACE OF SAID BASE AND AN INNER FLANGE PORTION OVERLAPPING AND ENGAGINGSAID CONFORMING IN SHAPE TO THE UPWARDLY FACING FLANGE SURFACE OF SAID LENS AND URGING SAID LENS FLANGE TOWARD THE RADIALLY INNER PORTION OF THE FLANGE SURFACE OF SAID BASE TO DEFORM SAID RESILIENT ANNULAR MEMBER THUS TO EFFECT A SEAL BETWEEN SAID LENS AND SAID BASE, THERE BEING AN ANNULAR CLEARANCE SPACE RADIALLY BETWEEN THE FLANGE OF SAID LENS AND SAID MOUNTING RING AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID MOUNTING RING AND SAID FLANGE SURFACE OF SAID BASE. 